Siedentopf Binocular Head

Introduction

The term Siedentopf binocular head is typically
used to describe the microscope head of certain microscopes, which is different
and comparably better than other microscope heads. This is named after Henry
Siedentopf, who was a pioneer in the field of microscopy and microphotography
and the co-inventor of the fluorescence microscope.

Brief Description

Essentially, the term Siedentopf is used to
refer to the method through which interpupillary distance of a microscope can
be changed without affecting focus. With Siedentopf binocular compound
microscopes, this feature makes the microscope better in comparison to others
that do not have it.

With these types of microscopes, the binocular head is
different from other types of sliding binocular heads in that it is possible to
adjust the eyepieces up and down in a circular movement. Normally adjusting involves sliding the eyepieces closer or
further apart.

With the Siedentopf head, the interpupillary
distance is adjusted by simply rotating the eye tubes about a central axis. The
axis also has a distance scale, allowing for users to know which point is
suitable for them for future use. Through this system, it becomes possible to
change the interpupillary distance without making any changes to the tube
length, which in turn would affect focus.

Looking at the sliding binocular (also referred
to as Jentsch) it becomes clear that the two are different. With the Jentsch,
changing the interpupillary distance typically involves moving the eye tubes
closer or apart in a linear manner. This results in a change in tube
length, which consequently affects focus. As a result, the user has to adjust
the focus setting of the eyepiece to ensure that it corresponds with the
interpupillary distance to be used. In the event that observation using the
Jentsch system involves several users, this can be tedious, given that it will
require constant adjustment since everyone may require different settings to
clearly observe the specimen. Here, it quickly becomes evident that the
Siedentopf is a superior system.

* To adjust the interpupillary distance in a
Siedentopf head, twist the eye tubes in an up or down motion as you would
binoculars

Benefits of the
Siedentopf Binocular Head

The biggest advantage of the Siedentopf system over the
sliding binocular head is convenience. As noted above, the Siedentopf system is
designed in a manner that ensures that the interpupillary distance can be
changed without any changes to the tube length. It is for this reason that the
system is also referred to as "compensation free". That is no
compensation is required for the tube length after adjusting the eyepiece
distance.

As such, the system accommodates people with
different interpupillary distances without any changes to the focus. This is particularly
beneficial in schools and for younger users given that they can change the
eyepiece distance as they so desire without changing focus. In this case, the
right focus will have been set, but interpupillary distance can be changed for
each student/kid ensuring that all students are equally observing the specimen using the Siedentopf Binocular head.

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The material on this page is not medical advice and is not to be used for diagnosis or treatment. Although care has been taken when preparing this page, its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Scientific understanding changes over time.